At our GDTA Spotlight session on May 23rd, 2023, we welcomed Guido Caicedo, Executive Director of i3lab, Dr. Sharon Guamán-Quintanilla, Academic Coordinator, and Isabel Alcívar, Lecturer and Design Thinking Facilitator. They discussed about “Turning freshmen into DThinkers.”
In this spotlight, the experience of ESPOL University (Ecuador) in implementing a mandatory design thinking course for all freshmen students were presented. The session included the story behind the decision to create this course as part of the curriculum, challenges faced, lessons learned, how it is currently taught, and the results of its application on students’ skills (problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork).
Guido Caicedo is a professor of engineering and entrepreneurship at ESPOL. He has an M.Sc. in Computer Science and a Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin and ESPOL. His extensive experience and knowledge have allowed him to lead teams of technology companies that have developed services on online platforms. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded two Internet security companies and was a product manager for another company that marketed the first secure online credit card platform and the first electronic magazine distribution platform in Latin America. He has spent around 18 years helping other entrepreneurs develop and boost their businesses. His mantra is Create Value Now.
Sharon Guamán has a PhD in Business Economics and Educational Sciences, a degree obtained from the University of Ghent (Belgium). The subject of her doctoral thesis and her research products have been focused on the specialized analysis of the Design Thinking methodology on the development of 21st century skills among university students. She works as academic coordinator at i3lab-ESPOL and has been a university professor for more than 6 years in the areas of projects, innovation, and entrepreneurship. She has also been a facilitator of workshops in the areas mentioned above for private and public, national, and international institutions.
Isabel Alcívar is dedicated to improve work systems. She is a professor for the Industrial Engineering program & i3lab at ESPOL. She teaches courses on Design Thinking, Ergonomics and Process Optimization. Her professional and research interests lie at the intersection of Industrial Engineering and Design Thinking: particularly, how design thinking contributes to design better engineering solutions for manufacturing & service processes, and to develop essential skills. She also works with student clubs to promote creative acts in undergraduate students. She holds a MS in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University (USA) and BS in Industrial Engineering from ESPOL (Ecuador).
At our GDTA Spotlight session on December 14th, Prof. Dr. André Bresges, Executive Director of the Institute for Physics Didactics at the University of Cologne talked about “Teach to Start Up”.
In our session held via zoom on February 17th, 2022 at 3:30 pm (CET) / 9:30 am (EST), we welcomed our speaker Jeanne Liedtka from UVA Darden School of Business.
On Tuesday, May 21st we held a free interactive 60-minute session with Maria Stashenko & her team form Design Thinking Center Asia. After a brief introduction everyone played a round of their game live online:
How passion, collaboration, and persistence turned an idea into a thriving business. Born from one of the first cohorts of the D-School Potsdam, Dark Horse defied the odds to become a sustainable business venture.
Western University is a large, public university in Canada with 11 faculties and schools. Since 2013, they have slowly built up the presence of Design Thinking across the university.
In a discussion with GDTA President Uli Weinberg, Richard Perez, Founding Director of the Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking (d-school) at the University of Cape Town, and Faculty Members Luke Doman and Mark Jackson talked about how they adapted their programs during Covid-19, using technology that is accessible for all students, and shared their vision for the future of the d-school at UCT.
On September 12th, 2023 we welcomed our speakers Jessica Menold, Associate Professor in the School of Engineering Design and Innovation and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and also Dr. Matt Parkinson, Professor of Engineering Design and Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University.
In our session held via zoom on April 7th, 2022 at 4:00 pm (CEST) / 10:00 am (EDT), we welcomed our speakers Lynne Martin, Strategic Lead for Design for Business at V&A Dundee, and Annie Marrs, Lead Officer at UNESCO City of Design Dundee. Lynne and Annie talked about “Entangled Values: The Power of Networks”.
Remember the experiments and challenges you faced while starting a new project? Before 2019, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu didn’t dream a small idea would turn into so many new research projects, competitions to encourage students to innovate and the first D-School in Romania.
Martin Schwemmle: “Future Skills Navigator: Upskilling Humankind For a Better Future”
Michael Lewrick, bestselling author of The Design Thinking Playbook and AI and Innovation, leads an inspiring session exploring how Artificial Intelligence is transforming Design Thinking practices worldwide.
At the GDTA PowWow on April 30th, 2021 Claudio Dell’Era, Associate Professor in Design Strategy and Director of the Observatory “Design Thinking for Business” of the School of Management at Politecnico di Milano talked about “Transformations in Design Thinking: from Creative Ideating to Critical Reframing“.
At our online session on May 18, 2021 Matt Parkinson, Professor and Director of The Learning Factory, College of Engineering at Penn State University, and Jessica Menold, Assistant Professor of Engineering Design at Penn State University, talked about the Design Thinking process that contributed to the development of a new university building, dedicated to Design Thinking and prototyping.
At our GDTA Spotlight session on October 21th, Joann Halpern guided us through a “Designing Your Life” workshop, which has been adapted from Bill Burnett and Dave Evans’ book on this subject.
The Global Design Thinking Alliance, in collaboration with the IEEE Standards Association and Vienna University of Economics and Business, invited you to the GDTA Spotlight Special Edition “Value-Based Engineering in Design Thinking,” which took place on March 10th, 2022, from 9:00-11:30 am (EST) / 3:00-5:30 pm (CET) via Zoom.
How can Design Thinking drive real change? Since 2015, Impact Week has evolved from a volunteer initiative into a thriving social enterprise, empowering communities, fostering skills, and sparking impactful social businesses.